In a push toward returning Anaheim to the name of his hometown Angels, Assemblyman Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) last March introduced what he called the “Home Run for Anaheim Act.”
Five months later, the bill has cleared both houses of the state legislature without a single vote against it. Gov. Gavin Newsom has two months to sign the bill into law, barring a veto that would be surprising because of the lack of opposition.
The bill does not mandate the Angels — playing under a Los Angeles name in Anaheim’s city-owned stadium — revert to the Anaheim Angels name.
Angels owner Arte Moreno has twice reached deals with the city to develop the land, only to see the city walk away both times. In the last deal, he rejected the city’s request to rename the team the Anaheim Angels.
Moreno has shown no public interest in a third negotiation with the city, and the Angels’ current stadium lease extends through 2032, with the team having options to extend the lease through 2038.
By year’s end, the city has said it anticipates the release of a long-awaited property assessment, which is expected to show Angel Stadium needs hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to remain viable for the long-term. The city and team may not agree on who should pay for them, and real estate development around the stadium could be part of the solution for funding a new or renovated stadium.
Moreno turns 80 this week. Should he decide to sell the Angels, the city could use the exemption as leverage in discussions with a new owner. Any new owner could have leverage of his own: Once the Angel Stadium lease expires, the owner would be free to move out of Anaheim.
The bill required five votes between the Assembly and Senate. The final vote came on Monday on a consent calendar, the place for matters considered so routine that no legislator even wishes to discuss them.
golden state warriors stephen curry mike dunleavy jr.
Judge the two greatest NBA players of this generation by the way they spent their summers.
LeBron James, after his fifth championship, left nothing to chance. The King methodically evaluated the league’s rosters, liked how the Sixers looked after adding Jalen Brown and signed a minuscule contract to secure a new, potentially final home for his throne.
Steph Curry, also looking to join the exclusive five-ring club, has left everything to chance. At least, he put his faith in Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., who in turn decided to leave the twilight years of Curry’s magnificent career resting on a roster that won 37 games a year ago.
Ayesha Curry (left) and Steph Curry attend the 2026 ESPY Awards at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in New York City. (2026 TheStewartofNY) WireImage
The Warriors signed zero free agents this offseason. They made no trades. Steve Kerr is back, albeit with some new assistants and a rookie he will almost certainly have to play big minutes.
Yaxel Lendeborg aside, that’s it.
Golden State will add a few more players to get its roster to 15, but largely, re-signing Draymond Green to a $28 million deal put a ribbon on its roster moves.
“All in all, pleased with our offseason,” Dunleavy said Tuesday. “We like this team.”
Dunleavy held court on a videoconference with reporters, ostensibly to put a wrap on the Warriors’ summer. But there wasn’t much, if anything, to wrap up.
There’s still no timetable on the returns of Jimmy Butler or Moses Moody; their injuries will keep them out into this season. Still no progress on an extension with Brandin Podziemski, though Dunleavy affirmed the Warriors’ desire to get one done.
And still little to no hope of Curry getting that fifth ring with the roster currently surrounding him.
“If people knew the cold calls I made offering a lot of stuff for players, I think they’d realize how hard we’re trying,” Dunleavy said. “We’re super aggressive.”
Golden State Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. talks to the media before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 7, 2026. (NBAE) NBAE via Getty Images
Golden State missed out on Giannis, lost the LeBron sweepstakes and reportedly didn’t try for Brown. Many of the calls Dunleavy made were about players who ended up not being moved.
The end result was the same: Curry enters his age-38 season with the same supporting cast that lost in the play-in to the Suns, who went on to be unceremoniously swept by the Thunder.
The Warriors re-signed Kristaps Porzingis. Re-signed Al Horford. Re-signed De’Anthony Melton. Re-signed Gary Payton. Re-signed Green. Drafted Lendeborg. Let Quinten Post walk.
“We had to make a decision between talent and availability,” Dunleavy said. “There was no perfect solution in terms of the combination of the two. I think we leaned a little more toward talent … and hope that we can get some good luck, but also improving some areas medically.”
That’s placing a lot of eggs in the baskets of the health of Porzingis and Horford, who combined to play 60 games for the Warriors last season. Even Curry, while still at the top of his game, is hardly a bastion of health. He was limited to only 43 games last year with a knee issue that Dunleavy described as “delicate” and “something we have to be mindful of.”
Still, Dunleavy said “I see a path” to a championship with the roster as currently constructed. But he added, “We need to get healthy. We need to stay healthy. And then we need to evaluate and see where we’re at. And if we need to get better, I know we can get better.”
Dunleavy indicated that the Warriors will be active in their attempts to improve the roster during the season. Just like this summer. They’d better hope for different results.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry plays during an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. Sony Pictures Entertainment announced Monday, April 23, that it has struck a deal with the Golden State Warriors All-Star guard to produce television, film and possibly gaming projects. (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP
If Curry was any other superstar—LeBron, for one example—he would either already be out the door or at least putting immense pressure on Dunleavy to do more.
That’s typically how it goes in the NBA. But that’s not Curry, who has expressed a desire to play for only one team, unlike James, who will suit up for his fourth franchise this season.
Curry is under contract for one more season, at $62.8 million.
Dunleavy expects a deal to get done when Curry is eligible for another extension later this month. He hasn’t heard anything to indicate otherwise from the superstar’s camp.
But did he also speak the unthinkable into existence?
“I’m pretty confident Steph will finish his career here,” Dunleavy said. “But ultimately that’s his call, his decision.
“Look, if he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe [Lacob] and I will talk it through. We wouldn’t love it, but he’s earned the right to be where he wants and do those things. But as far as the messaging or any idea that he would be anywhere else, that’s not a thing we’re looking at or he’s looking at.”
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 5: Nick Martinez #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Matt Savoie enters an important season as his contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, and he becomes an RFA. By this time next summer, his team will be talking with the Oilers about the first long-term contract of his NHL career, and recent deals around the league suggest the price of young forwards is climbing faster than it has in years.
The salary cap is rising, and several players in similar stages of their careers have signed contracts that would have seemed crazy a few seasons ago. Ville Koivunen signed for $4 million for eight years with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Collin Graf signed for $4.25 million at three years with the San Jose Sharks, Cole Sillinger took took 4.624 for three years with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Jet Greaves signed for $5 million for three years with the Blue Jackets, and Jamie Drysdale took $6.5 million for four years with the Philideplphia Flyers.
And those are the contracts under $10 million. Savoie has not produced at that level, so those contracts are not direct comparables to where he will sign. They are an illustration of where the market has moved for promising talent entering their early twenties. Teams are paying for the years ahead as much as production that's already been produced, particularly when they believe the player is capable of becoming a fixture in the top six.
Edmonton has held that belief since acquiring Savoie from Buffalo. His junior résumé has 263 points in 283 WHL games between Winnipeg and Moose Jaw. Buffalo drafted him ninth overall because of how well he could produce. The Oilers acquired a player they believed still had another level to reach, and his first full NHL season did little to discourage that.
Savoie enters training camp as one of the candidates to skate alongside Leon Draisaitl, with Kasperi Kapanen also expected to compete for that role. As well as the potential to play on McDavid's wing depending on how the lineup shakes out. A productive year beside one of the league's best centres would raise his value.
That's also why both parties might want to consider signing this summer. The Oilers could maybe get a better deal on the premise of saying "we know you have a bright future, but we can't exactly pay you too large of a sum for things you haven't done yet." And Savoie might want to sign before all the money gets spent on McDavids next extension, if there even is one.
There is another element unique to this negotiation. Savoie grew up in nearby St. Albert, played much of his minor hockey in the Edmonton area and still has family and close friends in the community. Hometown connections often become part of the discussion when players reach the point where they can choose where they want to spend the prime of their careers. Oilers fans have always embraced local players, and the possibility of seeing another Alberta product commit to the organization for much of his twenties would undoubtedly resonate with this community.
A contract in the range of eight years with an average annual value between $4 million and $5.5 million would compensate him well for what he has done for the organization and what he can do. That projection assumes Savoie secures a regular top-six role and continues to build on the progress he showed during his first full NHL season.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 05: Carson Whisenhunt #88 of the San Francisco Giants throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on August 05, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game home series against the Houston Astros tonight.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who enters tonight’s game with a 7.25 ERA, 5.64 FIP, with 20 strikeouts to 15 walks in 22.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-0 loss to the Texas Rangers last Wednesday, in which he allowed four runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in three and a third innings.
He’ll be facing off against Astros right-hander Hunter Brown, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.53 ERA, 4.33 FIP, with 63 strikeouts to 32 walks in 58.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Astros’ 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays last Wednesday, in which he allowed three runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings.
Jefferson Rojas continues to impress in his new organization.
The Mets' new No. 1 prospect had himself a day at the plate on Tuesday night with Double-A Binghamton. The infielder went 3-for-5, including a home run, his first with the Mets organization.
After getting the scoring started with a first-inning solo shot, Rojas hit back-to-back RBI doubles in his next two at-bats.
In six games since arriving in Binghamton, Rojas is 7-for-23 with three-hit games in two of his last three games.
Billy Amick, another new Mets prospect, went 2-for-5 with a walk, an RBI and three runs scored. In his eight games since being traded to the Mets organization, Amick is 10-for-29 with five home runs.
Jefferson Rojas tonight for Double-A Binghamton:
3-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 2B
Rojas was acquired from the Cubs in the deal that sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to Chicago
Up with the Triple-A club, Jonah Tong made his latest start and was very effective.
The right-hander allowed a run on four hits and three walks while striking out six batters in his four-plus innings of work (94 pitches/53 strikes). He worked around a leadoff double in the first inning but was victimized by the home run ball in the second, allowing a solo shot to Bennett Hostetler on a changeup down in the zone. He allowed a double immediately after, but worked around it. Tong also worked around two walks in the third inning.
Tong's fourth inning was his "easiest" inning, getting the first two batters out before Maximo Acosta was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double.
Syracuse's defense failed Tong in the fifth. Ronny Mauricio's fielding error allowed the leadoff runner to reach before a throwing error by Andy Ibanez at third put two runners on with no outs. Tong walked the next batter to load the bases before he was pulled.
Austin Warren came on to strike out the next three batters to end the threat and put a bow on Tong's night.
Tuesday was a good start for Tong, who is looking to make his way back to the big leagues. Mets interim manager Andy Green talked about Tong's progress this season and what he needs to show to warrant a call-up.
If the right-hander continues to show progress as he did on this night, he may force the Mets' hand.
Guests by the pool at the home of Wayne Beal in Scottsdale, Arizona, January 1973. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
ROCKIES
DIAMONDBACKS
Jake McCarthy – LF
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Kyle Karros – 3B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Cole Carrigg – CF
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Hunter Goodman – C
Ketel Marte – 2B
Willi Castro – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Mickey Moniak – DH
James McCann – C
Jordan Beck – RF
Tim Tawa – 1B
Connor Norby – 2B
Ildemaro Vargas – SS
Ezequiel Tovar – SS
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Tomoyuki Sugano – RHP
Mitch Bratt – LHP
A nice little break for the bullpen yesterday. The early surge from the offense meant that Torey Lovullo did not need to push Michael Soroka further than necessary, and was able to hand the ball off to Zack Littell for the rest of the game without worrying. It helped that the Rockies were being very aggressive, and the double-plays behind him were also very helpful. In the end, Zack needed only 45 pitches to record 14 outs. That’s among the most economical long relief outings in franchise history. Here’s the list of all those over two innings, but less than ten pitches per inning. You have to go back to Mike Koplove (25 pitches for 8 outs) in 2005 to find a lower P/IP ratio.
The limited pitch count does also mean Littell won’t need as much recovery time. With an off-day guaranteed on Thursday, he should probably be good to go again, when we start the road-trip on Friday, which goes through Atlanta and Boston. That’s going to be a tough one, and it’ll be nice to everyone in our bullpen fully rested and available for action. Towards that end, it’d help if Mitch Bratt can deliver the same kind of performance tonight he did last time out: seven innings of one-hit, shutout ball against the Padres at Chase Field last Wednesday. The Rockies should be slightly easier – OPS+ of 94, compared to 95 for San Diego – so, fingers crossed.
Lars Nootbaar back to the top of the order. So far, he hasn’t exactly been the offensive force we expected: 3-for-2o, though does have more walks (5) than strikeouts (3). Him and Max Kepler seem almost to be involved in a race to the bottom, attempting to make Arizona fans look forward to the return of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The $42 million Lourdes signed for, covering the 2024-26 season isn’t looking like a great investment. With one-quarter of a season left, he’s been just a total of 1.9 (bWAR or fWAR, it doesn’t matter). Looks like paying Gurriel $5 million at the end of the year to go away, is going to be close to a no-brainer.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 8: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 8, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a rough start to the series yesterday, the Brewers are looking to bounce back in game two against the Padres. They will try to do that behind Kyle Harrison tonight.
The revolving door of the bullpen continued moving as they made another roster move before today’s game. Bryse Wilson is back on the roster just three days after being designated for assignment and one day after electing free agency. He signed a one-year contract and is back on the active roster for tonight’s game. To clear a space for him, Lyon Richardson was designated for assignment. Also, Drew Rom was selected off waivers by the Athletics.
Kyle Harrison makes his second start since returning from the IL tonight. This is his second start against the Padres this season. He pitched five shutout innings on May 14, allowing just five hits and striking out seven. Harrison is coming off another five-inning start last Wednesday, where he struck out 10 and allowed only one hit and one walk. He finished that start with eight straight strikeouts, but cramps prevented him from continuing that one.
For the Padres, Walker Buehler makes the start. He has a 5.07 ERA and 4.37 FIP over 23 starts and 108 1/3 innings this season, along with 95 strikeouts compared to 45 walks. In his last start against the Diamondbacks, he pitched just four innings and allowed one run and struck out three. The Brewers missed him the first time they played the Padres, and last faced him in 2024 when he was with the Dodgers. In three previous career starts, he has a 2.93 ERA and a .211 batting average allowed over 15 1/3 innings.
With the Brewers still hurting on the left side of the infield, they are going with a less traditional lineup for today’s game. Brice Turang will make his first start at shortstop since 2023 tonight. Meanwhile, Jihwan Bae will play second base and bat ninth in his first Brewers start. Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Jake Bauers are batting second through fourth. William Contreras and Christian Yelich move up to fifth and sixth in the lineup, and Luis Lara and David Hamilton round out the lineup. Joey Ortiz gets another day of rest, but was available if needed yesterday.
First pitch is at 8:40 p.m. It will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres stands on-deck in the fourth inning during the game against the Houston Astros at Petco Park on August 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Milwaukee Brewers (74-45) at San Diego Padres (63-57), August 11, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 5: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Coors Field on August 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Aug 10, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Cam Cauley (27) runs after flying out against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Pittsburgh Pirates caused a bit of a stir Tuesday night when they lifted starter Paul Skenes after just 65 pitches.
It marked the fifth-shortest outing of Skenes' career by pitch count.
The Pirates' ace, who has been battling to find his Cy Young form in the second half of the season, exited after five innings with the Pirates down 2-0 to the Miami Marlins.
Skenes gave up a home run to Esteury Ruiz in the bottom of the third inning, then his fifth inning unraveled a bit when he hit Ruiz with a pitch. Ruiz would score the next batter, racing around from first to score thanks to shortstop Jacob Gonzalez's throwing error.
Skenes' last pitch of the night was nearly a home run, with Bryan Reynolds coming up with the robbery to end the inning and keep the score 2-0.
Bryan Reynolds with ANOTHER home run robbery this year
But Skenes did not come back out for the sixth inning, yielding to Yohan Ramirez.
The Pirates have not provided any public updates on if Skenes' removal was injury related. Codify Baseball noted that Skenes' top pitch Tuesday night maxed out at 96.5 mph.
Nonu on Sharks bench after signing for South African side last week
‘I thought it was the right thing to do,’ says 104-cap former All Black
South African rugby teams love facing the haka. None have ever replied to New Zealand’s traditional pre-match challenge with another haka until Tuesday.
Ma’a Nonu stepped in front of his new Sharks teammates and performed a solo haka in what will probably be the lasting memory of a tour match the New Zealanders won 54-0 in soggy Durban.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 10: Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics hits a double that scored a run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park on August 10, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Okay, last night was tough to swallow. You don’t expect to blow a 6-2 lead with just a few outs to go, but that’s just how this season has gone for the A’s. A bit fitting in a way. Starting strong, before fading late. Hopefully that doesn’t follow this club into next year as well.
The series continues tonight and the A’s have a chance to make things right with a win this evening. At-72 the A’s are only better than one other team in the American League: the Los Angeles Angels. The playoffs aren’t happening but the goal the rest of the season should be to finish above them. Who knows. Maybe the Mariners collapse and third place is a possibility in September.
Taking the ball for the home team will be youngster Mason Barnett. The right-hander is making his third start since seemingly rejoining the rotation. He had a terrific first start against the Red Sox last week but got tagged for five runs his last time out against the Reds. Most of the damage from those two teams came later in the game so keep an eye on how Barnett is faring after the first time or two through the Rays’ batting order.
Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup stacks up tonight for the middle contest against our AL East foe:
Jeff McNeil is back atop the lineup for the second straight day. No Soderstrom in the starting nine as he gets a full day off, with Zack Gelof taking his place in left field and batting second. Shortstop Jacob Wilson is back in the three hole followed again by Carlos Cortes, who will be the DH this evening after handling the outfield last night.
The back half of the lineup is also fairly similar to last night’s except infielder Tommy White returns to the lineup and playing third base this evening. The highly-rated prospect has encountered his first slump at the plate in his big league career, with just four hits in his last 27 at bats. Mark Kotsay gave him a day off yesterday and now he’s batting ninth so hopefully an extra day of rest and hitting in a low-pressure spot in the lineup can help spark him in the batter’s box. We’ll be seeing plenty more of White with Nick Kurtz’s injury.
Tampa Bay meanwhile has Nick Martinez getting the start for them this evening. An offseason acquisition for Tampa, Martinez has been an absolute steal for the Rays. In 22 starts the 26-year-old has a career-best 2.65 ERA, good for fourth in the American League. Signed to a one-year contract, Martinez is likely to get some down-ballot Cy Young votes thanks to his work with the Rays and is looking at a fairly sizable contract this coming winter. Possible A’s target if the wallets open up?
And Tampa’s lineup:
Rays 8/11
Y. Díaz DH J. Aranda 1B J. Caminero 3B L. Hicks C C. Simpson LF V. Mesa Jr. RF C. Mullins CF R. Palacios 2B T. Walls SS
PHOENIX, AZ - DECEMBER 25: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns meets with fans before the Christmas game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 25, 2023 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
For just the second time in six seasons, the Phoenix Suns will not be playing on Christmas. After trading Kevin Durant and buying out Bradley Beal during the 2025 offseason and once again being projected to go under .500 by the sportsbooks, Phoenix will not be one of the ten teams suiting up on the holiday for the second straight season.
The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) for the 19th consecutive year, with ABC and ESPN both televising each matchup.
Highlights include the first meeting between the Knicks and Spurs since the 2026 NBA Finals, as well as new 76er LeBron James’ return… pic.twitter.com/CgWdaaFJXN
The premier holiday teams play on during the regular season, Phoenix is 13-9 all-time on Christmas, and in their four straight years playing on December 25th from 2021-2024, the Suns went 1-3 with their lone victory coming back in 2024 when Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant combined for 54 points to beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100.
Once Durant was traded and the Suns’ national spotlight dwindled, it was inevitable the team would not be playing on the holiday as often. It’s now been two seasons since Phoenix played on Christmas, and now Durant and Houston are not playing on the holiday as well, as Houston finished last season fifth in the West and lost in the first round to the Lakers. With the emergence of the San Antonio Spurs and a poor season, Houston’s status as a top team in the NBA has diminished, and they are not playing on the holiday despite employing the former Phoenix Suns superstar.
Suns fans will have to wait at least one more year to watch their team on the holiday again.
